Heat exchangers with stamped metal tanks have been connected to a subassembly comprising a pair of headers having a plurality of spaced, parallel flow tubes for directing fluid flow between the tanks. In such arrangements the tanks are provided with a surface which defines partitions within the tank to define a serpentine fluid flow path through the heat exchanger making it suitable for use in applications such as headered condensers for condensing high pressure refrigerant vapor circulating in an automotive air conditioning system.
In different applications, the tank shape and the number of refrigerant passes defined by the flow tubes depends upon several variables, including the height of the heat exchanger core, the width of the core, the depth of the core, and also on the refrigerant flow conditions and engine compartment packaging considerations.
Examples of sheet metal or pressed tanks for use on header heat exchangers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,628 and 4,707,905 wherein the tank is secured to a header or tube end plate by a flanged end of the tube end plate.
Other heat exchangers are known in which an extruded member is used to form a automotive radiator. An example of such an extruded tank is set forth in UK Patent Application GB 2049149. In such arrangements parallel tube passes are directed through the extruded tank and are sealed relative thereto by resilient grommets.
In none of the aforesaid arrangements is provision made for a headered condenser design which is readily modified to accommodate a variety of applications without requiring a separate set of tools for forming different sized and shapes of stamped or extruded tank portion of the heat exchanger.